Throwback Thursday - 1983 Orioles

[Redskins Rick]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_Baltimore_Orioles_season

I was always fond of this team, and some will say it's the worse Oriole team to ever win a World Series Trophy.

[WillyM]

I was fond of the '83 Orioles as well, because I was living in Philadelphia at the time and if the Phils had won the Series, none of my friends would ever have let me live it down. No member of the '83 club will ever owe me anything.

Of course, only three Oriole teams have ever won the World Series. I think the 1970 team was clearly the best of the three. So it's a question of whether the 1966 team was better than the 1983 team, or vice versa.

From the standpoint of starting pitching, even though the 1966 team put up a World Series performance that may never be equaled, I think the 1983 team was better. Scott McGregor had an outstanding year in 1983, better than Dave McNally's in 1966. I also think Mike Boddicker in 1983 was better than the Jim Palmer of 1966. And I'd give an edge to Mike Flanagan over Wally Bunker. If Steve Barber's arm had held up, he was superior to Storm Davis, although Davis was very important to the '83 club's victory - I felt the Series swung on the fact that Altobelli had confidence in four starters, while Paul Owens had confidence in only three, and when John Denny was unable to win Game 4 on short rest, that was pretty much curtains for the Phils.

As far as the position players go, I think the '66 club was better. Cal Ripken was clearly better than Luis Aparicio at short (though Looie was a very fine shortstop), Eddie Murray rates an edge over Boog Powell (but I'd always love to have either one of them on my team), and the three-headed left fielder of '83 (Lowenstein, Roenicke, and Ayala) worked out a little better than the '66 platoon of Curt Blefary and Sam Bowens. Davey Johnson and Rich Dauer are pretty comparable to each other. Andy Etchebarren had a somewhat better year at the plate in '66 than Rick Dempsey did in '83 (though Rick came up real big in the Series). But in center field, I'd give a clear edge to Paul Blair over John Shelby, and there isn't much of a comparison between Brooks Robinson and Todd Cruz at third, or between Frank Robinson and Disco Dan Ford in right.

The thing that makes the comparison very difficult is the fact that the '66 team and the '83 team played under different rules. How much value do you give to Ken Singleton's contribution as the designated hitter when the '66 team had nobody in a comparable role?

[Redskins Rick]

I was fond of the '83 Orioles as well, because I was living in Philadelphia at the time and if the Phils had won the Series, none of my friends would ever have let me live it down. No member of the '83 club will ever owe me anything.

Of course, only three Oriole teams have ever won the World Series. I think the 1970 team was clearly the best of the three. So it's a question of whether the 1966 team was better than the 1983 team, or vice versa.

From the standpoint of starting pitching, even though the 1966 team put up a World Series performance that may never be equaled, I think the 1983 team was better. Scott McGregor had an outstanding year in 1983, better than Dave McNally's in 1966. I also think Mike Boddicker in 1983 was better than the Jim Palmer of 1966. And I'd give an edge to Mike Flanagan over Wally Bunker. If Steve Barber's arm had held up, he was superior to Storm Davis, although Davis was very important to the '83 club's victory - I felt the Series swung on the fact that Altobelli had confidence in four starters, while Paul Owens had confidence in only three, and when John Denny was unable to win Game 4 on short rest, that was pretty much curtains for the Phils.

As far as the position players go, I think the '66 club was better. Cal Ripken was clearly better than Luis Aparicio at short (though Looie was a very fine shortstop), Eddie Murray rates an edge over Boog Powell (but I'd always love to have either one of them on my team), and the three-headed left fielder of '83 (Lowenstein, Roenicke, and Ayala) worked out a little better than the '66 platoon of Curt Blefary and Sam Bowens. Davey Johnson and Rich Dauer are pretty comparable to each other. Andy Etchebarren had a somewhat better year at the plate in '66 than Rick Dempsey did in '83 (though Rick came up real big in the Series). But in center field, I'd give a clear edge to Paul Blair over John Shelby, and there isn't much of a comparison between Brooks Robinson and Todd Cruz at third, or between Frank Robinson and Disco Dan Ford in right.

The thing that makes the comparison very difficult is the fact that the '66 team and the '83 team played under different rules. How much value do you give to Ken Singleton's contribution as the designated hitter when the '66 team had nobody in a comparable role?

Nice post, and there are lots of Orioles fan that done care too much for manager Joe of the 1983 team.

[csh_83]

That 1983 team will always have a special place in my heart. They came so close before and finally got over the hump. I remember watching game 4 of the ALCS and being on the edge of my seat as the White Sox threatened to score in every inning but couldn't get a run across the plate and then in the 10th inning Tito Landrum went deep and the Orioles were on there way to the World Series. I know White Sox fans blame Dybinski for his base running error but the middle of the Sox line up did absolutely nothing in that series.